You become a victim of Identity Theft when someone steals key pieces of information about you. This could include your name, address, date of birth, social security number or even your mother's maiden name. Theft of these items enables someone to commit any number of acts of fraud including, taking over your financial accounts, opening new accounts, applying for credit cards or loans, social security benefits and use of rental services. The goal of identity thieves is to spend as much money as possible before the person realizes they have been victimized.